DURHAM — The state and UNH are in a deadlock on whether the university needs $38 million of state funding to expand its science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs.

The $38 million capital appropriation would go directly toward the UNH Integrated Sciences Project, which is estimated to cost a total of $50 million. This project would upgrade and renovate five science facilities on the UNH campus. According to UNH, a significant portion of the facilities that would be renovated have not been updated since 1970. The university has assured that any costs exceeding the $38 million will be funded by UNH.

Gov. Hassan has stated that these requests are more than the state can afford, with this year’s budget requests $102 million more than what was approved last year. The governor has received a total of $227 million in capital spending requests from 18 state agencies. Other major requests included $38 million to build a women’s prison for public safety reasons, as well as a $14.8 million request to build a 34,500-square-foot courthouse in Concord. Hassan did say, however, that her top priorities would be to protect existing investments as well as to update the state government’s technology.

According to Todd Leach, the chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire, approving this funding would promote the state and UNH’s shared interest of creating a successful public higher education system in New Hampshire. He explained this would be the first phase of a multiyear plan for STEM programs across all campuses.

UNH’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences has seen an 86 percent enrollment increase since 2002. With more increases anticipated, UNH is asking the state to help graduate more engineers to boost the state’s economy.

“As we prioritize our needs, this first phase of capital commitment will focus on the University of New Hampshire campus,” he said, “as UNH graduates more STEM students than our other campuses or any other institution in New Hampshire.”

In May 2012, USNH made a commitment to double the number of graduates in STEM-related fields due to an ever-increasing need for graduates with these skills. In fact, according to a publication from the NH Department of Economic and Labor Market Bureau, STEM jobs are projected to have the skills and knowledge most in demand for all occupations through 2020.

“We are the state’s STEM factory. We are at capacity. We can’t fit any more kids in the labs,” UNH President Mark Huddleston said before Gov. Hassan and members of her capital budget advisory committee, while urging them to pass their budget request.

“It will allow us to at a minimum increase by 250 the number of students that we’re sending out each year into the world of STEM. That can have a material effect on workforce needs.” Huddleston added that if UNH received the $38 million, the university’s laboratory space that is dedicated to STEM-related programs would expand by 150,000 square feet.

A final decision about which projects will receive funding will not be made until June 2015.